Device for guided feeding of yarn to knitting machines



y 21, 3 K. I. J. RosN 3,090,215

DEVICE FOR GUIDED FEEDING OF YARN TO KNITTING MACHINES- Filed Jan. 30, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I! l l- |'|1.|\'||., I II Ill I ,I la, 15 21 l 2 1 1| ,r-fi

INVENTOR.

KARL ISAC JOEL ROSE/N ATTOR N EYS K. x. J. RosN DEVICE FOR GUIDED FEEDING OF YARN TD KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 30, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 4

Fig. 3

KARL ISAC JOEL R055 IN V EN TOR. BY Mm, a 4M Arm/wars United States Patent 3 090 215 DEVICE FOR GUBdED FEEDING OF YARN TO KNITTING MACHINES Multifeed knitting machines, e.g. interlock and rib machines are normally provided with yarn feeding devices of some kind. The most common type of such feeding devices comprises radially arranged pairs of conical gear wheels which are rotated at a suitable speed. The yarn is fed between the gear wheeals in the different pairs of wheels in such a way that the yarn length required for the stitch length at the different feeding stations is fed automatically.

There exist of course other kinds of feeding devices but with the exception of the Hatra method of using a capstan on a cylindrical rubber Wheel, they all feed the length of yarn according to the stitch length.

However, it has been recognized that the method of automatically feeding varying amounts of yarn demanded at the different feeding stations has important drawbacks. Instead of providing the feeding stations with the amount of yarn required by their adjustment (the stitch length) it has been attempted to provide the feeding stations with a defined length of yarn per stitch or each revolution of the machine. It has turned out that the stitch length on the different feeds can advantageously be adjusted relative to the feeding of yarn.

One method of obtaining a positive feed is recited e.g. in the U.S. Patents Nos. 1,097,115 and 1,970,242. In practical use, however, such feeding involves certain difliculties. In a surprisingly short time the yarn forms grooves in the rubber cover on the wheels between which the yarn has been clamped or around which the yarn is laid.

A rather high pressure is required for an effective control of the feed of yarn by means of two wheels of hard material pressed against each other since the contact surface in this case is very small. Such a pressure isnot suitable for many kinds of fibers and for this reason the art has hithereto been forced to use an elastic material on the rollers which Wears rather fast.

The present invention has for its object a device for positively feeding yarn to knitting machines. According to the invention, the device comprises a single feeding tape driven by the machine and running over a number of rollers corresponding to the number of yarn packages in the machine, and means situated in the vicinity of each of the rollers for guiding the yarn for the different yarn packages between said tape and the mantle surface of the roller in question. The feeding tape, which preferably comprises a steel tape having a thickness of is driven at the desired speed by the knitting machine and the yarn is fed between the tape and the roller in question in such a way that it is fed to the machine without sliding over the surface of the rollers. A good but yet nondamaging hold of the yarn is obtained which does not abrade or flatten the fibers since the tape fits itself smoothly and elastically to the peripheral surface of the roller. Due to the large contact surface between the roller and the tape the pressure used can be rather small.

An example of a device in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying, partly diagrammatical drawing. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the upper portion of a knitting machine having a feeding device according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same,

3,69%,215 Patented May 21, 1963 FIG. 3 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a part of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3.

The knitting machine has twelve feeds. From the frame of the machine two rods I extend upwardly and have brackets 1a thereon carrying a holder for the yarn packages comprising twelve arms 3, FIG. 1. A tube 5 is arranged in the center of the bracket In, said tube 5 carrying on rods 6 a plate 7 having radially directed arms 7a thereon. The arms 7a have upright rods 8 on the ends thereof onwhich a ring 9 is mounted. Rollers 11 are rotatably mounted on pivots 10 directed vertically downwards from the ends of arms 7a.

The rollers 11 are provided with side flanges and are present in a number corresponding to the number of yarn packages 4. Over the rollers 11 and between their side flanges there runs an endless tape 12 which is driven e.g. by a centrally arranged driving pulley 13. The latter is attached to the upper end of a shaft 14 which is journalled in the tube 5. The shaft 14 is driven from the knitting machine by means of sprockets 15 and 16 and a chain 17. The tape is driven in the direction indicated by the arrows 18. On either side of each roller 11, and positioned inwardly of the tape 12 are mounted thread guides 19, 20 (only two guides are shown in FIG. 1) or similar means for guiding the yarn 21 from the actual packages 4 in such a way that it passes between the tape and the surface of the rollers 11. When the tape 12 is curved along the surface of each roller, the engagement with the yarn will be effective due to the rather long contact surface and yet will be very smooth. The yarn cannot slip between the rollers and the tape and any risk of flattening or deforming the yarn is eliminated. When the yarn 21 is fed by means of the feeding device it is guided over the ring 9 or in a hook attached to the same before it goes to the feeding station.

A feeding device of this kind costs only about half as much as previously known feeding devices to manufacture. It always feeds exactly the same quantity of yarn to the feeds and it has a practically unlimited durability. The driving force required for this kind of a feeding device is less than for the old types. Due to the fact that the tape and the rollers, which preferably are manufactured from plastics, are light in Weight, it is easy to stop the knitting machine when different disturbances occur.

The present invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims. Instead of a steel tape it is possible to use a tape of another material. As an example of such a material there may be mentioned brass or plastics. In particular armed plastics could be used.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for a positive feeding of yarn to knitting machines, an endless feeding tape adapted to be driven by the knitting machine, a plurality of rollers over which said feeding tape runs the number of rollers corresponding to the number of yarn packages in the knitting machine, and means situated in the vicinity of each one of said rollers for guiding the yarn from the difierent yarn packages in between the tape and the surface of the roller in question.

2. In a device for a positive feeding of yarn to knitting machines, an endless feeding tape adapted to be driven by the knitting machine, a plurality of rollers over which said feeding tape runs the number of rollers corresponding to the number of yarn packages in the knitting machine, and means situated in the vicinity of each one of said rollers for guiding the yarn from the different yarn packages in between the tape and the surface of the roller in question.

3 said rollers being arranged in a circle around the vertical central axis of the knitting machine.

3. In a device for a positive feeding of yarn to knitting machines, an endless feeding tape adapted to be driven by the knitting machine, a plurality of rollers over which said feeding tape runs the number of rollers corresponding to the number of yarn packages in the knitting machine, and means situated in the vicinity of each one of said rollers for guiding the yarn from the different yarn packages in between the tape and the surface of the roller in question, said rollers being arranged in a circle around the vertical central axis of the knitting machine and a central wheel adapted to be driven by the machine around which said endless feeding tape is passed in driving engagement with said central wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lawson Feb. 10, 1953 Jackson et al Ian. 10, 196 1 FOREIGN PATENTS France Jan. 2, 1958 France Nov. 16, 1959 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR A POSITIVE FEEDING OF YARN OF KNITTING MACHINES, AN ENDLESS FEEDING TAPE ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN BY THE KNITTING MACHINE, A PLURALITY OF ROLLERS OVER WHICH SAID FEEDING TAPE RUNS THE NUMBER OF ROLLERS CORRESPONDING TO THE NUMBER OF YARN PACKAGES IN THE KNITTING MACHINE,AND MEANS SITUATED IN THE VICINITY OF EACH ONE OF SAID ROLLERS OF GUIDING THE YARN FROM THE DIFFERENT YARN PACKAGES IN BETWEEN THE TAPE AND THE SURFACE OF THE ROLLER IN QUESTION. 